1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flotation devices and more specifically to a flotation device which provides recovery of an article which has fallen into a body of water.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A problem sometimes encountered, particularly during water related sports such as fishing and duck hunting, is the accidental dropping of expensive gear into a body of water. Unless the body of water is very shallow, retrieval of the article is probably nearly impossible or dangerous without scuba equipment.
There have been several attempts to provide a device which can be used for either indicating the proximity of the sunken article, or facilitating the flotation thereof The first group of inventions indicate the proximity of the article as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,294 to Hicken and U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,159 to McLennan et al. The second group of inventions facilitate the flotation of the article as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,615 to Parker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,821,725 to Harper, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,787 to Burker.
The first group of inventions utilize a capsule containing a flotation device and a length of filament. The capsule is attached to the article. If the article falls into the water, a water soluble device is consumed and releases a flotation device. The flotation device is attached to a long filament which is also attached to the capsule. The filament unwinds off a spool until the article finds the bottom of the body of water. There are at least two drawbacks to these devices. First, if the body of water is too deep, the article will pull the flotation device under the surface, making detection probably impossible. Second, if the article becomes tangled in weeds or the like, the filament may break during retrieval of the article.
The second group of inventions utilize a capsule containing a compressed gas cartridge, a piercing pin, a water soluble trigger, and a balloon. The capsule is attached to an article. When the article is submerged in water, the water soluble trigger is consumed and the piercing pin is forced into an end of the compressed gas cartridge. The balloon is filled with gas and causes the article to float. The drawback to each of these inventions is the premature dissolving of the water soluble trigger if moisture or water from dew, rain, snow or exposure to other wetness occurs, whereupon the balloon prematurely inflates.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a flotation device which causes an article to float if accidently dropped in water while providing protection from being prematurely triggered.